Guide MassDEP Dental Amalgam/Mercury Recycling Program

Table of Contents

About the Dental Program

Dental practices and clinics release a significant amount of mercury into the environment when they dispose of waste from amalgam fillings in the trash or down the drain.

The Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) in 2005 implemented a voluntary program in cooperation with the Massachusetts Dental Society (MDS) to encourage early installation and use of amalgam separators by dentists.

In 2006, with input from MDS, individual dentists and other stakeholders, the agency issued regulations requiring most dental practices and facilities in Massachusetts to:

Install and operate amalgam separator systems,

Recycle mercury-containing amalgam wastes, and

Periodically certify their compliance with these requirements.

Follow the links in Additional Resources below to learn more about University of Massachusetts research that confirmed amalgam separator technologies are effective at removing most mercury from dental wastewater.

Approved Amalgam Separator Systems

The following amalgam separators have been tested using a protocol established by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) Protocol 11143 and found to remove at least 98 percent of mercury from wastewater at specified volumes over time.

Who Needs to Certify & When

Certifications must be submitted to MassDEP within 60 days of separator system installation and by March 31 of every even-numbered year thereafter.

The MassDEP Dental Amalgam/Mercury Recycling program applies to dental practices or facilities that place or remove mercury amalgam fillings. Typically, these are general dentistry and endodontics offices.

Offices that perform oral or maxillofacial surgery, orthodontics, or periodontics are generally not subject to these regulations unless they also place or remove mercury amalgam fillings.

How to File Your Certification

Review the Dental Certification Form Instructions in Additional Resources below.

Login to eDEP Online Filing. Note: If you are a new eDEP user, you will need to create an account first.

After login, click Forms, then Business Sectors, then the Start Transaction button corresponding to the Dental Amalgam/Mercury Recycling Certification.

MassDEP Dental Amalgam/Mercury Recycling Questions?

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